Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of the characters from the series.
Chapter 13 Welcome
Katara woke solely, enjoying the warm, soft feeling that surrounded her. She gradually came to full awareness and opened her eyes.
Red silk and gold decorations were the first things she noticed. Then she looked around and saw that she was in a room, a bedroom, more luxurious than any she had ever seen before. Windows stretched from floor to ceiling, letting in sunlight. Marble-topped tables were decorated with intricately crafted ornaments. Red silk cushions were scattered around them. Katara knew that if she wandered through one of the three doors, she would probably find a dressing room, a bathroom, and a receiving room, through which one would have to go to reach the hallway.
Remembering Zuko's promise, she realized that this must be one of the guest apartments.
'I wonder what the royal chambers look like,' she thought, amazed at the expense afforded for a guest room.
"Ah, I am glad to see you are awake. My name is Ju Di and I will be your handmaid and guide here in the palace" Katara blinked and stared at the woman who has entered the room.
'Guide? More like Ozai's spy.' Katara was suspicious.
In a more polite tone, she asked, "how long have I been asleep?"
"Near five hours has passed since you arrived with the Prince. I believe it took an hour to arrive here from the town you were in."
Almost six hours of unconsciousness. Not too bad for a head wound and strenuous bending, but Katara hadn't eaten anything since her small, bland breakfast before work. Her stomach felt hollow and she thirsted for a cool glass of water.
"You must be hungry. Come, I have brought a light meal for you. Once you have eaten, you may bathe and dress while I send a servant to inform the Prince of your awakening."
Katara was grateful for the woman's thoughtfulness and climbed out of bed, accepting the silk robe handed to her to cover the undergarments she wore. Someone must have taken off the blood- and tea-stained waitress's uniform she had on earlier.
Walking out to the receiving room, she saw a low dining table set with an array of dishes and tea pots. Thankfully, whoever ordered the food seemed to have realized that she was not as accustomed to rich flavors and strong spices as the Fire Nation nobility were. Still distinctly Fire Nation, the food was catered to her preferences.
Katara sat down and began eating, remembering the manners she had learned to use when she was in the Fire court. She couldn't wait to eat her fill, then wash out the black dye in her hair and change into an outfit that did not mark her as a waitress.
Zuko resisted rubbing his forehead against the oncoming headache. This was the third time he had given his argument. First was to his personal guard. That had been the easiest and the quickest. More difficult to persuade were his father's advisors and the managers who ran the palace. Now, five hours after arriving, he was presenting his argument to none other than Fire Lord Ozai himself.
"As I have said before, Father, Katara has become a friend of sorts. I place my trust in her-"
"She is of the Water Tribe. How can you befriend someone as lowly as that?"
"Katara would be the first to tell you that she has renounced the Water Tribe. She claims to be of no nation. Better to befriend her than a scheming, plotting nobleman or woman who seeks not my friendship but only our wealth and power."
"What makes you believe the peasant is so trustworthy? Whatever prompted you to bring a waterbender into the palace? Do you intend to invite a snake into the rabbit's warren?"
Zuko knew he must choose his next words carefully. One slip could end up getting Katara executed, or worse.
"Katara has helped me many times over, going so far as to save my life. I am honor-bound to offer her, at the very least, shelter and asylum while she is here in our nation."
That made Ozai hesitate. Despite his faults, he recognized the need for a respectable man to prove and maintain his honor. To suggest that any man, especially the Prince of the nation, should do otherwise would cause disapproval almost enough to dethrone him.
"Very well, then. You may have your plaything. But remember, I do not like seeing your toys around. And when you are done with her, get rid of her."
Zuko resisted reacting to his father's insults or their insinuations. Ozai was just taunting him and would love to see him overreact.
Instead, the prince bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Father."
"You are dismissed. Leave now. I shall see you at the dinner we will be having for Admiral Zhou tomorrow evening."
Bowing once more, Zuko backed out of the throne room. He found a servant girl waiting for him. At his acknowledgement, she bowed and gave her message.
"The Lady you brought in is awake, your majesty. She should be prepared to receive visitors by the time you reach her rooms."
"Thank you. You may be dismissed." Zuko was pleased to hear the news. It was the first good thing that happened that day.
When he arrived at Katara's apartment, he was greeted by Ju Di She informed him that Katara would see him in a few moments, and that he was more than welcome to help himself to the food and tea still set on the table Zuko, who was hungry after a long, stressful day, eagerly accepted.
When Katara stepped into the room, he nearly choked on the tea he had been drinking.
"That bad?" the woman asked self-consciously.
Quickly recovering, he corrected her. "Not at all. That beautiful. Red suits you nearly as much as blue does, Lady Katara." He stood up, setting his tea cup down, and walked over to her. He scanned her thoroughly for any sign that she had been mistreated. She looked perfectly healthy and perfectly cared for.
"Your hair, it isn't black anymore," he noticed, reaching to run his fingers through the strands that weren't pulled back into the small topknot.
"I decided it was alright to wash out the dye now that I do not have to worry about blending into the crowd so much."
"I'm glad. I think your natural hair is much nicer than when it is coated with ink."
Katara blushed lightly at the complement. He sure was being generous with the flattery.
"I must ask, how many people know I am a waterbender? Will I have to hide it?"
Zuko pretended to think it over for a moment. "By now? After such a shocking entrance and five hours for the news to spread? Probably the whole palace and a good portion of the surrounding city, depending on how many of the royal employees have made it out to the market. News like that spreads like brushfire."
Katara frowned. "And your father? He has not sent guards to arrest me yet."
Zuko tensed at that. "Nor will he, if his word is true. Come, let me show you around the palace and you can ask questions along the way."
He held his arm out for her and she accepted, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. She let him guide her out of her apartment.
The Prince led his friend around the royal palace, teaching her and answering questions. He taught her about the building itself, its history, and its current functions. He taught her some fire Nation history, culture, and traditions. She asked about the little things, details that most people would have missed, with a curiosity that encouraged him. He did not expect her to be so interested in his world. Though, now that she was living in it, he supposed she had reason enough to want to know.